The Carpettes
Encyclopedia
The Carpettes are a punk rock
band from Houghton-le-Spring
, Tyne and Wear, England, formed in 1977, who released two albums on Beggars Banquet Records
and recorded two Peel sessions. They split up in 1981, but reformed in 1996.
, released on the Walthamstow
-based indie label
Small Wonder
. The band named their follow-up single "Small Wonder" in the label's honour. They recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1978, however between these two sessions, Kevin Heard was to be replaced by former Young Bucks drummer Tim Wilder. In 1979, they signed to Beggars Banquet Records
, who issued their debut album, Frustration Paradise, towards the end of that year. A second album followed in 1980, with a final single released in December that year, before the band split up in June 1981 after war drove them apart.
The band reunited in 1996 to perform at the first Holidays in the Sun festival, with Thompson and Maddison joined by Thompson's brother Paul. This led to a permanent reunion and the release of a new album in 2002, Fair Play to 'Em. In 2005 Neil thompson Left the band and was replaced with Jimmy Devlin, a member of the Glasgow based Just Another Dream. A final album was recorded featuring Paul Thompson playing drums on several tracks and another Glaswegian, Jim Cosgrove on the rest of the album. This was released on the Texas based NDN Record label followed by a tour of Germany.
In 2009 George and Jimmy collaborated to record three new Carpettes songs, "When I`m Gone", "The Only Way to Be" and a cover of the Tom Waits song "Hold On" which were made available online.
In the Summer of 2011 Henrik Poulsen of NDN Records was planning the first American tour for The Carpettes, with dates planned in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Las Vegas, LA, Anaheim, San Diego and San Francisco.
Compilations:
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Houghton-le-Spring
Houghton-le-Spring
Houghton-le-Spring is part of the City of Sunderland in the county of Tyne and Wear, North East England that has its recorded origins in Norman times. It is situated almost equidistant between the cathedral city of Durham 7 miles to the south-west and the centre of the City of Sunderland about 6...
, Tyne and Wear, England, formed in 1977, who released two albums on Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
and recorded two Peel sessions. They split up in 1981, but reformed in 1996.
History
The band was formed in 1977 by Neil Thompson (vocals, guitar), George Maddison (bass), and Kevin Heard (drums) (all three had played together since 1974 in Brown Sugar), The band's first release, the Radio Wunderbar EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, released on the Walthamstow
Walthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
-based indie label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Small Wonder
Small Wonder Records
Small Wonder Records was a UK independent record label owned and managed by Pete Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17, east London...
. The band named their follow-up single "Small Wonder" in the label's honour. They recorded two sessions for John Peel's BBC Radio 1 show in 1978, however between these two sessions, Kevin Heard was to be replaced by former Young Bucks drummer Tim Wilder. In 1979, they signed to Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet Records
Beggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
, who issued their debut album, Frustration Paradise, towards the end of that year. A second album followed in 1980, with a final single released in December that year, before the band split up in June 1981 after war drove them apart.
The band reunited in 1996 to perform at the first Holidays in the Sun festival, with Thompson and Maddison joined by Thompson's brother Paul. This led to a permanent reunion and the release of a new album in 2002, Fair Play to 'Em. In 2005 Neil thompson Left the band and was replaced with Jimmy Devlin, a member of the Glasgow based Just Another Dream. A final album was recorded featuring Paul Thompson playing drums on several tracks and another Glaswegian, Jim Cosgrove on the rest of the album. This was released on the Texas based NDN Record label followed by a tour of Germany.
In 2009 George and Jimmy collaborated to record three new Carpettes songs, "When I`m Gone", "The Only Way to Be" and a cover of the Tom Waits song "Hold On" which were made available online.
In the Summer of 2011 Henrik Poulsen of NDN Records was planning the first American tour for The Carpettes, with dates planned in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Las Vegas, LA, Anaheim, San Diego and San Francisco.
Albums
- Frustration Paradise (1979) Beggars BanquetBeggars Banquet RecordsBeggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
- Fight Amongst Yourselves (1980) Beggars Banquet table
- Fair Play to 'Em (2002) DIW
- Live at Last – Tokyo 2003 (2004) Last Years Youth Records
- The Carpettes (2005) NDN
Compilations:
- The Early Years (1997) Overground
- The Best of The Carpettes (2000) Anagram
- Frustration Paradise/Fight Amongst Yourselves (2000) Captain Oi!
- Small Wonders (2003) Last Years Youth Records
Singles
- Radio Wunderbar EP (1977) Small WonderSmall Wonder RecordsSmall Wonder Records was a UK independent record label owned and managed by Pete Stennett, that specialised in releasing records by punk rock and post-punk bands. It operated out of a record shop of the same name at 162 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17, east London...
- "Small Wonder" (1978) Small Wonder
- "I Don't Mean It" (1979) Beggars BanquetBeggars Banquet RecordsBeggars Banquet is an English independent record label that began as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin, and is part of the Beggars Group of labels...
- "Johnny Won't Hurt You" (1980) Beggars Banquet
- "Nothing Ever Changes" (1980) Beggars Banquet
- "The Last Lone Ranger" (1980) Beggars Banquet
- "It Doesn't Matter" (2002) DIW
- "No Chance" (2004) Last Years Youth Records
- 80's Demos EP (2007) SnapsMusic
External links
- Green, Jim "Carpettes", Trouser PressTrouser PressTrouser Press was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow Who fan Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" ...